A/N: Hermione and Fleur are both kind of the worst versions of themselves in this chapter. But, I think its a necessary breaking point for them to hit before overcoming some of their issues.
Chapter 14.
The party carried on, Hermione finding herself at Fleur's side more and more. She began to loathe the admirers that jostled around Fleur, eying her hungrily. It wasn't helped by the fact that every time she caught sight of Pansy, the raven haired Slytherin would flash a goading smile at her.
Hermione tried to keep her cool but Pansy and Bill's words were echoing around her head, mocking her. It came to a head when Fleur and her approached a table of drinks and a drunk Slytherin boy grabbed Fleur's ass. Before anyone could say anything, Hermione had whipped out her wand and hexed the boy.
He fell to the ground, clutching his face as the infamous Bat-Bogey Hex began to wreak havoc. Fleur looked at Hermione, surprised.
"Hermione… I can look after myself," Fleur said quietly.
"I know… I just…" Hermione felt unbearably wound up, "Did you have sex with Pansy?"
Fleur looked shocked, taking Hermione by the arm and leading her to a quiet room. Of course, Hermione knew how Fleur hated to make a scene.
"Of course I didn't, I'm with you," Fleur said as soon as they were alone. Hermione was agitated.
"I don't mean tonight," Hermione said impatiently, "I mean ever. Did you sleep with her when you were dating?"
Fleur frowned, looking thoroughly put out at being asked such a question.
"Does it matter?" Fleur asked. Hermione threw her hands up.
"Of course it matters," Hermione snapped without thinking, "Its fine when its Pansy or Bill… But me? Why do we have to wait?"
"Because it means something!" Fleur snapped back, tears welling in her eyes. Hermione stopped in her tracks, the anger dying out immediately.
"Fleur…" Hermione said hoarsely.
"I've never felt this way about anyone before," Fleur continued, "It terrifies me, Hermione. Do you know how many people all through my life have only ever wanted me for my looks? Its fine when there's no feelings involved. But what if… What if I give everything to you and then you lose interest after bedding me?"
"Its not going to happen," Hermione reasoned, "Fleur, I'm sorry for being a jealous prat. But I'm crazy about you."
Fleur wiped at her eyes with embarrassment, turning away from Hermione. Hermione approached her slowly, putting a hand on the blonde's shoulder. Hermione hated that the blonde was still reluctant to show her feelings in front of her. She wished there was something to do to finally bring Fleur's stubborn guard all the way down. There was clearly a bigger issue affecting the blonde.
"I have to go," Fleur said suddenly, wiping at her eyes, "I can't be here like this."
Before Hermione could say anything further, Fleur had disapparated. Hermione sighed. She understood that Fleur loathed showing her feelings in front of others, but at some point something was going to have to give.
Hermione left the room and walked out to rejoin the party. She saw Ginny leaning against a wall watching Blaise and Luna from across the room.
"Is it just me or is Luna kind of hot?" Ginny asked absently as Hermione leaned against the wall beside her, "I mean like, in a cute, hippie kind of way,"
"Fleur went home. She got upset because I hexed someone for groping her," Hermione said despondently.
"Sounds like they deserved the hexing if you ask me," Ginny said, her eyes still on Luna.
"Definitely, but then I asked Fleur why she won't just have sex with me already," Hermione admitted with a grimace. Ginny frowned, removing her gaze from Luna to turn and face Hermione.
"You didn't…" Ginny said in disbelief, "You realise that makes you almost as bad as Ron, right?"
"I know… its just… Bill and Pansy really got to me. I hate that Fleur is always so veiled and hard to read," Hermione sighed, exasperated.
"Well, maybe put more effort into trying to get through that veil of hers and less into being a jealous girlfriend?" Ginny suggested with a coy smile. Hermione shoved her lightly.
"It was a one-off," Hermione said defensively.
"Sure, sure," Ginny smirked, "Hey, get us a couple of beers?"
"Why can't you…" Hermione began, but Ginny had gone back to eying up Luna from across the room again. Hermione rolled her eyes and began to make her way towards the drinks table.
"So, Fleur left you already, huh?" Pansy asked, appearing from the crowd with a self-satisfied smirk on her face.
"No, she just went home," Hermione said in a tense tone. She didn't want to engage with Pansy right now.
"It bothered you that we've slept together, didn't it?" Pansy asked, following Hermione. Hermione gritted her teeth.
"Of course not," Hermione replied in a forced voice.
"Really? Not even when you hear about all the dirty stuff we did together?" Pansy teased, leaning in menacingly. Hermione brushed past Pansy, determined to get to the drinks table. At this rate, she would need something a bit stronger than a beer.
"Buzz off, Pansy," Hermione said, frowning.
"She's such a loud moaner, especially when you take her from behind, but I suppose you know that," Pansy continued. Hermione could feel the muscle in her jaw twitching. She kept her mouth shut, not trusting anything that she would say at this point. She hated the thought of Fleur in bed, underneath the toned and tanned body of Pansy Parkinson.
"Yeah, definitely the loudest that I've had in bed" Pansy said, stepping directly in front of Hermione, "Except for when her mouth was occupied with my pussy."
Finally, Hermione snapped, not even processing that she had swung a punch at Pansy. Not until she found herself nursing her throbbing knuckles and looking down at a wailing Pansy on the plush carpet of the Zabini mansion. Her bleeding nose would definitely stain the expensive carpet.
The crowd had parted, buzzing with gossip and surprise, leaving a wide circle around Hermione and Pansy. Ginny pushed through, grabbing Hermione and pulling her away from the scene.
Hermione herself was in shock, scarcely believing she had socked Pansy squarely in the face in front of a room full of witnesses. But she soon came back to her senses, finding herself in the cold air of the Zabini grounds with Ginny, who had (predictably) snatched a bottle of wine for them on their way out.
"So what was that about your jealousy attacks being a one-off?" Ginny teased, but Hermione could see she was worried about her.
"I just… I just lost it…" Hermione said in disbelief, running her hands through her hair, "She was saying all this lewd stuff about Fleur… About sleeping with her… I just snapped."
"Jesus, Hermione," Ginny commented, taking a swig from the wine bottle and passing it to her, "I haven't seen you lose it like that since you punched Malfoy at Hogwarts."
"Its just… Its so hard," Hermione admitted, "I'm crazy about Fleur. But everyone wants her. She's so closed off… I guess because she's used to people using her. It kills me that I can't just get through to her."
"You've arguably already got closer to her than Pansy ever has," Ginny said, "Sex aside, I don't think I've ever seen Fleur look so at ease and intimate with a partner before. Even when she was married to Bill."
"I just… I want her to feel comfortable opening up to me," Hermione said helplessly.
"That's something that comes with time," Ginny advised sagely, "And not from thumping her exes at parties."
"God… I need to talk to her," Hermione said, shaking her head. Ginny took the bottle of wine back from her.
"You head back to Shell Cottage, I'll smooth things over here," Ginny advised. Hermione looked at her redheaded friend, intently watching her in the darkness of the courtyard. She really was a good friend. Hermione hugged her tightly before disapparating.
The cottage was empty. Hermione knew where Fleur would be though.
She headed outside, wrapping her jacket tighter around herself against the cool night air. Hermione made her way down the familiar little path that led to the beach.
As she had expected, the light of the moon was shining down on a familiar blonde who was sitting on the seashore, looking out at the waves. In the moonlight, Fleur's hair looked entirely silver as it fluttered in the wind.
Hermione came over to her and sat beside her in the sand. Fleur looked over at her with that damned unreadable expression of hers. Her sapphire eyes roamed Hermione neutrally before finally falling on Hermione's bruised knuckles. Fleur took her hand in hers, looking at her with concern.
"What happened?" Fleur asked, worry in her voice. Hermione toyed with the idea of not answering, or even lying about it, before shaking her head.
"I punched Pansy," Hermione admitted, not wanting to look at the reaction on Fleur's face, "She was saying all this awful stuff about sexual things she had done with you. In front of everyone else, too. I just lost it. I'm sorry for being so jealous and possessive tonight."
Fleur looked conflicted.
"I'm sorry if its my fault for you feeling that way," Fleur said finally, "I wish I could give everything to you as soon as I have given it to others. But its just scary when I feel so strongly for you."
Instead of responding with something understanding like she usually would, Hermione simply stayed silent, watching Fleur intently as she struggled with emotions she didn't want to reveal. Finally, Fleur spoke again.
"My whole life, every time I let myself fall for someone, it would just turn out that they didn't have any feelings for me past lust. They just wanted to bed me and show me off. Wanted me to be their trophy," Fleur said, looking down at the sand.
"Fleur… I'm not like that…." Hermione said gently. Fleur shook her head sadly.
"I know… You're so different to anyone I've ever met, Hermione," Fleur said, "You've been so patient and understanding. I'm just terrified that its too good to be true. That I could actually fall for someone who wants me for all of me."
"Well, you'll never know until you let me see all of you," Hermione said, before blushing at the double meaning, "I mean emotionally… Like telling me more about what you think and feel. More about you."
Fleur smiled gently. Hermione noted that her smile had a fragile quality about it. Like something that had already been shattered a number of times before.
"I'll try, Hermione,"